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ONLY BELIEVE, 



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THE SURE WAY OF PEACE. 



BY THE 

REV. ALFRED HAMILTON. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 

NO. 821 CHESTNUT STREET. 



^1 



*» 



Tiia Library 
of Ow-ir^ss 

WASHINGTON 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by 

JAMES DUNLAP, Treas., 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District 

of Pennsylvania. 



As a pastor, having frequently to 
converse with and counsel persons in- 
quiring how to obtain peace of con- 
science, based upon pardon and accep- 
tance with God ; I have found that the 
only scriptural method of peace was 
very little understood, and less appre- 
ciated, even by those who had been care- 
fully instructed in religious things. 
Much more also has this been found 
true in the case of persons who have 
had scarcely any, or perhaps no proper, 
religious training. Great darkness and 
many difficulties prevail, and frequent- 
conferences afford little relief, distress 

(3) 



4 PREFACE. 

deepens, and hope seems impossible. It 
is a painful condition, and causes almost 
as much anxiety to the pastor as to the 
subject. Much has been written, well 
calculated to meet cases of this kind ; 
but many persons of whom we speak 
have not access to such works ; and 
often, while these are very good, the 
precise point needed is either not 
brought distinctly out, or they are too 
large to be read in a short time. 

I have felt the want of some brief, 
pointed, and direct article which, while 
brief, was yet sufficiently explicit and 
full to meet every ordinary case. Un- 
der this feeling the following pages 
have been prepared. The earnest desire 
is that they may unfold such gospel 
truth to inquiring and distressed minds 
as will afford the desired relief. Whether 
my views will meet the approbation of 



PREFACE. 5 

my brethren, or accomplish the object 
in view, can only be determined upon 
trial. 

The present is a time when such a 
manual may speedily be tested. Hun- 
dreds and perhaps thousands are in 
circumstances to need these sugges- 
tions. Many are asking for the way of 
life, and pastors and other active re- 
ligious persons are called upon again 
and again, and to many different per- 
sons, to point out the way to the city 
of refuge. While it must not be forgot- 
ten that, in the state of mind contempla- 
ted, no teacher but the Holy Spirit 
can effectually give peace ; his power 
alone can dispel the darkness, and " per- 
suade and enable" the soul to accept of 
Jesus Christ as offered in the gospel ; 
yet we are called to the use of appro- 
priate means, and hence, while the ex- 
l* 



6 PREFACE. 

cellency of the power is of God, his 
blessing may be expected to attend the 
exhibition of every appropriate and 
scriptural truth. With these views we 
submit these pages, and trust they 
may accomplish, in some cases at least, 
the end designed. The pastor's position 
as a guide of souls is a fearfully re- 
sponsible one ; and whether he counsels 
orally or in this way, he may well trem- 
ble in view of results. 

The style is colloquial, and addressed 
to one who is awakened and anxious 
about his soul. If the Divine Teacher 
shall make this humble effort a means 
of quickening and comforting even a 
single soul, the author will feel that 
his labour has been richly rewarded. 



Inquirer. My mind has become deeply 
interested on the subject of my per- 
sonal salvation, and I wish to know 
how I can obtain peace with God. 

Pastor. What has caused your trou- 
ble ? You were recently without anxiety 
about this question. 

Inquirer. The word of God read and 
heard has been so applied to my con- 
science that I now feel utterly guilty 
and helpless before God ; can there be 
hope for me ? My heart is dreadfully 
hard, and I am often tempted to give 
up in despair. 

Pastor. Permit me to say, my friend, 

(?) 



8 ONLY BELIEVE. 

that while I appreciate your distress, 
yet 1 feel glad that you are brought to 
such deep convictions as to your spirit- 
ual condition. The Holy Spirit has, 
doubtless, awakened within you this 
perception of your lost estate, not to 
drive you to despair, but to lead you 
to the fountain of life. Be careful, 
therefore, that you do not grieve him 
to leave you. Christ is the only re- 
fuge for sinners, and especially for sin- 
ners in your state, and you are there- 
fore urged by every consideration to 
accept his mediation ; why do you not 
comply ? 

Inquirer. Because I have tried again 
and again, and find my guilt and help- 
lessness increase. I know not what 
to do. 

Pastor. Perhaps your difficulty arises 
from some mistake or misapprehension 



ONLY BELIEVE. 9 

as to what is the precise requirement 
of the gospel on this point. What do 
you suppose you are expected to do ? 

Inquirer. I do not know that I can 
clearly explain even my own feelings ; 
but I think I understand what is the 
gospel requirement. It is to go to 
Christ, or to accept of him, or believe 
upon him ; is it not? 

Pastor. Yes, either of those words 
expresses the idea ; why then do you 
not do so ? 

Inquirer. My difficulty is that, with 
all my trying, I cannot accomplish it. 

Pastor. What is your trying ? What 
are you really trying to do ? 

Inquirer. I try to feel more deeply. 

Pastor. Feel what? 

Inquirer. My sins. I think I need 
more conviction. 

Pastor. Do you not feel already 



10 ONLY BELIEVE. 

that you are a sinner, and as such de- 
serve God's wrath and curse — that 
God would be just should he leave you 
to perish ? 

Inquirer. I do ; but I want to feel 
it more deeply. Then I try to feel 
more sorrow for my sins; to repent 
more deeply ; to feel more self-loathing 
on account of my sins. Can I go to 
Christ or expect to be received by him, 
if I do not so feel ? Then again, I try 
to pray more ; and more earnestly — to 
do better — to think and act better — to 
be more regular and punctual in every 
duty, especially every religious duty. 
But still I get no better, rather worse. 
My distress increases. What more can 
I do ? How can I try better ? 

Pastor. You are doing and trying 
too much; or rather you are doing 



ONLY BELIEVE. 11 

and trying what you are not required 
to do. 

Inquirer. How so ? Must I not feel 
deeply? Must I not do better, and be 
more punctual in every duty private 
or public ? 

Pastor. Yes, but neither as prepara- 
tion nor means to accept of Christ. 
The word is, " Believe and thou shalt be 
saved." " Come unto me all ye that 
labour and are heavy laden, and I will 
give you rest." But you do not be- 
lieve — you do not come. You set about 
something else, trying to feel, to repent, 
to obey, in order to believe. Is it any 
wonder your distress continues? Peace 
comes by believing ; but you turn to 
trying and doing, instead of believing. 
You certainly can have no clear view 
of what the gospel requires, or you are 
not disposed to comply with it. 



12 ONLY BELIEVE. 

By your own showing you have 
clearly mistaken several points of great 
importance. (1.) The source as well as 
the object and necessary extent of 
conviction. The Holy Spirit is the 
source of all true feeling or conviction ; 
and yet you are trying to work your- 
self into deeper feeling. The object 
of conviction is to lead the soul to Christ 
for relief; yet you seek it only that you 
may feel that you are ready to go, or 
that you are welcome. That measure 
of conviction which teaches you that 
you are really guilty before God and 
deserving of his wrath, is all that you 
need feel; and yet when so convinced, 
instead of going to Christ you wait 
and try to feel more deeply ! 

(2.) You mistake as to the source, the 
order in time, and objects of repentance 
and practical duties. 



ONLY BELIEVE. 13 

The Holy Spirit is the source both 
of true repentance, and all acceptable 
practical duties; yet you labour for 
these in and from your own efforts and 
watchfulness. They are the evidences 
of faith either as fruits, or co-ordinate 
gifts of the Spirit ; and yet you seek 
and use them as means by which you 
may believe. Things which in the 
order of time and nature do not pre- 
cede but follow faith, you seek, not 
through but before faith. As just in- 
timated, the objects of repentance and 
practical duties are not to prepare or 
enable you to believe, or to make you 
in any measure fitter or more worthy 
to believe or to be. accepted of Christ, 
but to show that you do already 
believe; and yet you seek and endeav- 
our to fulfil these, only as so many 
2 



14 ONLY BELIEVE. 

trials, or means and qualifications to be- 
lieve. 

(3.) Once more you mistake as to 
the actual value and efficacy of feelings 
and duties. You are anxious to feel 
deeply, and be earnest in duties, that 
you may have something in your view 
as the ground, the encouragement, or 
warrant of faith. You think if you 
can feel very deeply, or be very frequent 
and punctual in duties, you have there- 
by some dependence, some ground of 
hope in reference to your soul, some 
certainty that you will soon believe, and 
yet, as already said and admitted by 
yourself, you are omitting and neglect- 
ing faith itself. Faith is the only thing 
of value or efficacy, and yet instead of 
this you are substituting feeling and 
duties. You have suffered your mind 
to be diverted from the only thing which 



ONLY BELIEVE. 15 

can afford you relief, and yet say you 
have tried to find peace but have not 
succeeded. You have not succeeded, be- 
cause you have sought where it was 
not to be found. It is nowhere said 
that very deep convictions will give 
you peace, nor that great frequency in 
duties will. " Being justified by faith, 
we have peace with God," this is the 
law and the testimony, and yet you 
have sought it in other things, and of 
course have not found it. 

Inquirer. I see wherein I have failed, 
but what can I do ? 

Pastor. You are not required to do 
any thing. The gospel rule is, " Believe 
and be saved." There is a great differ- 
ence between doing, and believing. You 
should know and ponder this differ- 
ence. 



16 ONLY BELIEVE. 

Inquirer. What is it ? Can you ex- 
plain it to me ? 

Pastor: Doing is depending upon 
something of your own — knowledge, 
feelings, prayers, duties. Believing is 
depending upon another, even upon 
Christ. Believing is a doing nothing, 
because it is a ceasing to struggle for, 
depend upon, or seek any deliverance 
from, any wisdom, remaining goodness, 
depth of feeling, earnestness in duty, 
or any mental state or exercise of your 
own — any thing of which you can 
claim the efficiency — as the ground of 
your reconciliation and peace with God. 
There are many cases in which the 
analogy of faith is illustrated : a person 
falls upon the edge of a precipice, and 
is so nicely balanced, that a single 
struggle — almost a motion — may topple 
him headlong to the bottom. A friend 



ONLY BELIEVE. 17 

is standing by, sees his critical condi- 
tion, and in almost breathless anxiety, 
cries out, " Be still, lie perfectly pas- 
sive, till I can reach and save you. 
If you move, you are lost." The im- 
perilled man obeys, does nothing, and 
is saved. He is fully conscious of his 
danger — is by no means listless or in- 
different ; on the other hand, is filled 
with deepest anxiety at the prospect, 
feels helpless, and does nothing, because 
he hears the voice of his friend, and 
rests in his power and willingness to 
afford him a perfect rescue. 

A child is entangled in thorns and 
briers ; it struggles to get free, but be- 
comes more involved — its clothes are 
torn, its flesh lacerated; the more it 
struggles, the more painful and hope- 
less its condition: the nurse finds it, 
says to it, " Be quiet now, and don't 

2* 



18 ONLY BELIEVE. 

move, I will then be able to extricate 
you ;" it yields and relief comes. But 
I need not multiply examples : faith is 
a doing nothing in the sense of depen- 
dence upon, or looking to any thing 
whatever of our own ; while it is an im- 
plicit submission to the wisdom, power, 
benevolence, and faithfulness of an- 
other. Do you understand ? 

Inquirer. I think I do now, but I 
never did before. Please let me have 
your views fully as to the way of peace 
through faith. 

Pastor. Peace with God is a state 
of mind, in which we are freed from 
all anxiety, distress, or fear, in view of 
our relations and obligations to him ; in 
which we contemplate him as our friend, 
and feel calm and happy under the 
searching scrutiny of his presence. This 
peace may be firm or wavering, abiding 



ONLY BELIEVE. 19 

or variable ; but it will always corres- 
pond with our faith, because it is a fruit 
of faith, and will partake of the charac- 
ter of the fountain whence it flows. 
If faith be clear, firm, abiding, so will 
be our peace. 

Inquirer. What then is faith — the 
faith of the gospel? 

Pastor. It is not a feeling that you 
are free from sin — that you are not 
now a great sinner, and deserving of 
God's wrath. This feeling may come 
after great distress, and yet come with- 
out any faith. Many are deceived 
by it. 

Inquirer. Can we have faith, and not 
feel free from sin ? 

Pastor. Yes ; you are still confound- 
ing feeling and faith : they are widely 
different. And again you are confound- 
ing a feeling of relief from the condem- 



20 ONLY BELIEVE. 

nation, or curse due to sin ; with a feel- 
ing of freedom, both from sin itself and 
its deserved wrath. The conscious 
presence of sin, and its utter vileness 
and loathsomeness, may be consistent 
with real, unbroken peace, and there- 
fore a saving faith. 

"Mme iniquities," says David, "are 
gone over my head : as a heavy burden, 
they are too heavy for me." " I am 
troubled ; I am bowed down greatly ; 
I go mourning all the day long." Ps. 
xxxviii. 4, 6. 

Yet in the same psalm he could say, 
"In thee, Lord, do I hope : thou wilt 
hear, Lord my God;" and again, 
"Make haste to help me, Lord, my 
salvation." vs. 15, 22. Can there be 
hope in God without faith ? Or can 
one say, " my God," " my salvation," 
and yet be destitute of faith in God ? 



ONLY BELIEVE. 21 

See to the same result, Ps. xl. 11, 12, 
17; and especially, Ps. Ixv. 3, where 
he exclaims, "Iniquities prevail against 
me :" and yet adds, " As for our trans- 
gressions, thou shalt purge them away." 
Here was a sense of sin, and calmness 
through faith notwithstanding. 

This is evident also from the daily 
experience of God's people, and from 
the analogy of ordinary experience. 
God's people have peace through faith, 
though they bear about with them an 
abiding consciousness of sin and its 
vileness. Common life furnishes many 
examples from faith even in man. A 
man's house and life are threatened by 
desperate, lawless banditti; he calls 
his friends together, and secures a sup- 
ply of all means of defence. " Now," 
says he, "let them come when they 
please, I am ready for them." He feels 



22 ONLY BELIEVE. 

secure and at peace. A man is bitten 
by a venomous serpent ; but a physi- 
cian at hand has an infallible antidote. 
This is applied, and though conscious of 
the bite, of its fearful and fatal nature, 
yet his mind rests with peace upon the 
power and skill of the physician. Faith 
then is not a feeling of freedom from a 
sense of sin or its desert. 

Nor is it, again, a feeling that you 
are really saved — that you are now 
better than you once were, and accepted 
of God. Many profess to feel this, and 
yet soon give evidence, by their mode 
of life, that the faith of the gospel has 
no power over their hearts. Nay, many, 
after professing such things, go back 
to the world, and renounce every ele- 
ment of christian character. 

Besides, such a state of mind in- 
volves a mistake as to the object of 



ONLY BELIEVE. 23 

faith. That which you now regard as 
faith originates in something of your 
own — some state or condition of your 
own soul, and terminates in like man- 
ner in the idea of your own safety. 
But this, I have already shown you, is 
a fatal mistake. The only object of 
saving faith is Christ, as " set forth a 
propitiation for our sins." Believers 
may, and do, feel that they are safe; 
but it is only because they have clear 
views of the character, work, and offi- 
ces of Christ. They may, and do, 
feel that they are accepted of God ; but 
it is because they see Christ set forth 
as their surety, and choose, admire, 
and approve of him in this character. 
They are " accepted in the Beloved." 
You think that you must believe that 
you are safe before you can be, and 
you call that, which consists in the 



24 ONLY BELIEVE. 

feeling that you are saved, faith; when 
you can feel that you are saved and 
accepted, then you believe, or have 
faith. Your faith is thus subjective, 
that is, it originates in something within 
you; while the faith of the gospel orig- 
inates in, and rests upon something 
without you. 

Once more, neither is faith a confi- 
dence or strong persuasion that you 
can, and will, lead a new life. Many 
under conviction and distress work 
themselves up to this confidence, and 
thus secure peace. They know they 
should and must do better; they think 
and feel that they will, and thus sup- 
pose they have experienced a change — 
that they have faith. The faith of the 
gospel will certainly produce a new 
life, but it does not consist in believing 
that we can, and will, lead such a life. 



ONLY BELIEVE. 25 

As in the last ease, you are again be- 
lieving in something within you, some- 
thing of your own; whereas the faith 
of the gospel looks to something be- 
yond yourself. 

Inquirer. You bring to my mind 
strange views of faith : you seem de- 
termined to drive me from every thing 
within to something without me. 

Pastor. Precisely, that is just what 
I wish ; because I wish you to have 
peace now, and that is the only way 
you can secure it. You do not save 
yourself: you do not contribute the 
least possible influence to secure your 
salvation ; and my object is, to show 
you that faith is an abandonment of 
every thing in and of yourself, and a 
resort to some one, out of, above, and 
beyond yourself : even to Christ, who 
3 



26 ONLY BELIEVE. 

is able to save to the uttermost all 
them that come unto God by him. 

Christ is the only Saviour, faith is 
the resort of the soul to him, the ac- 
ceptance and rest of the soul upon him, 
as he is offered in the gospel. 

Inquirer. Do you mean to say that 
he saves the soul in its sins, or while 
its sins are yet upon it ? 

Pastor. Your question is double, and 
admits of a negative, and yet an af- 
firmative answer ; or if the ambiguity 
be explained, the answer can be wholly 
affirmative. If by "in its sins," you 
mean the prevailing and continuing 
power and love of sin, then I say, he 
does not so save. No man can be 
saved with the love of sin unbroken in 
his heart. But if by u in its sins," you 
mean its conscious desert of condemna- 
tion and sense of vileness, with self- 



ONLY BELIEVE. 27 

loathing on account of sin, then the 
answer is necessarily affirmative. None 
can be saved in any other way. You 
are a sinner, vile, unworthy of God's 
favour, deserving of his wrath, and 
helpless. Christ knows this, and knows 
too, that while in such condition, as 
such a sinner, you must be saved, if 
you are saved at all; and therefore all 
his invitations and promises in the gos- 
pel are to persons in such conditions. On 
this ground God is said to " justify the 
ungodly? Rom. iv. 5; and Christ in 
the scriptures invites the deaf to hear, 
and the blind to see, Isa. xlii. 18; the 
thirsty, and hungry r , to come to him for 
supplies, Isa. Iv. 1, 2 ; the weary and 
heavy laden, to come for rest ; and de- 
clares in so many words, that he " came 
to seek and to save the lost." Matt, 
xviii. 11. Lukexix. 10. 



28 ONLY BELIEVE. 

If you are not deaf, nor blind, nor 
thirsty, nor hungry, nor weary, nor 
lost, nor ungodly, then there is no 
invitation in the gospel to you : or if 
feeling that you are all these, when 
invited to Christ you delay until you 
make yourself to hear or see, or satisfy 
your own thirst or hunger, or relieve 
your own weariness, or rescue yourself 
from your lost condition, you put your- 
self out of the pale of the invitation ; 
you so change your condition that you 
do not need the interposition of Christ; 
you have become your own Saviour; 
the " whole need not a physician, but 
they that are sick. Christ came to 
call not the righteous, but sinners to 
repentance." Matt. ix. 13. 

If you are saved by Christ therefore, 
you must be saved by him as a guilty, 
lost, and helpless sinner ; you come to 



ONLY BELIEVE. 29 

him as such, and are relieved and de- 
livered wholly by him. Faith is the 
appreciative apprehension of his charac- 
ter, work, and offices in relation to your 
present condition; you look from your- 
self to Christ, acknowledge all your 
own vileness and guilt, and yet plead 
and trust the perfect, finished work of 
Christ as the only ground of safety, 
peace, or hope. 

He is presented as your legal surety 
before God, and as such engages to 
satisfy and remove all the claims of 
God's law against you, and remove 
from you every thing which would pre- 
vent your joy and delight in God's 
presence, and his full acknowledgment 
of you as his child. 

He is surety to God, that all his re- 
quirements against you shall be met: 

and surety to you, that God will fulfil 
3* 



80 ONLY BELIEVE. 

all his promises, accept and treat you 
as one of his family. In yourself you 
have, and feel that you have, nothing 
either to recommend you to God, or 
enable you to walk in obedience to his 
will : in your surety you have, and see 
you have, every thing you need ; you 
are complete in him. Col. ii. 10. 

You are without a righteousness, 
Christ becomes a righteousness for you, 
and to you ; you are vile and without 
purity, Christ becomes sanctification to 
you, secures your holiness : you are 
weak, but he is strong ; you ignorant, 
but he wise ; you helpless, but he mighty 
to deliver. He is made, of God, unto 
us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, 
and redemption. 1 Cor. i. 30. " In him 
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead, 
bodily." Col. ii. 9. 'fit pleased the 
Father, that in him all fulness should 



ONLY BELIEVE, 31 

dwell." Col. i. 19. Thus faith con- 
templates and appreciates the work and 
offices of Christ, and so looking to him 
finds peace. You need a righteousness 
to justify you, and remove the sentence 
of condemnation against you ; this you 
have in Christ. God accepts his work, 
and credits you with his righteousness, 
imputes to you his righteousness, and 
the law no more condemns. Rom. v. 1 ; 
viii. 1. 

You need a sanctifying righteousness, 
inward holiness: thisyouhavein Christ, 
He gives you his Holy Spirit, to apply 
the truth, give efficacy to the means 
of grace, and transform you into the 
image of God's dear Son. John xiv. 
16, 17; xv. 26; xvi. 7—15. 1 Cor. 
i. 1, 2. 2 Thess. ii. 13. 

You need wisdom, counsel, strength, 
you have all in Christ ; he is a Prophet, 



32 ONLY BELIEVE. 

Priest, and King, and fulfils all his offi- 
ces for you. Faith perceives, approves, 
and rests upon Christ as thus seen; and, 
from having nothing and being nothing, 
the soul by it secures the infinite treas- 
ures of divine grace and mercy. You 
forget yourself in the attractive and 
absorbing excellencies and glories of 
the great Surety. Do you compre- 
hend it ? 

Inquirer. I think I do ; you mean to 
say that my acceptance with God does 
not depend, is not conditional, in the 
least, upon any thing of mine — that a 
feeling of personal goodness or holi- 
ness does not render me acceptable to 
God, nor yet, that a deep conscious- 
ness of guilt, a self-loathing on account 
of my sins of heart and life, tend to ex- 
clude me from divine favour — that I 
am accepted and saved, only for the 



ONLY BELIEVE. 33 

righteousness of Christ imputed to me, 
set over and counted as mine, and re- 
ceived by faith alone. 

Pastor. Exactly so ; the righteous- 
ness which saves you is divine, not 
human — infinite, not limited by any 
creature perfection. 

Inquirer. You mean, moreover, to 
say that the first thing required of the 
convicted sinner, in order to peace, is 
faith in Jesus Christ as God's appointed 
peace-maker — that all waiting to be 
better — all struggles to prepare myself 
to go to Christ, or be received by him — 
are aside from the gospel requirement, 
and instead of conferring peace, only 
delay or remove it altogether — that all 
such waiting and struggles are of the 
nature of unbelief, and therefore offen- 
sive to God, and injurious to myself. 

Pastor. Precisely. The convicted, 



34 ONLY BELIEVE. 

trembling sinner's first great duty is 
gratefully, penitently to accept the 
mercy of God in Christ. God has of- 
fered mercy in Christ — he is in Christ, 
"reconciling the world unto himself, not 
imputing their trespasses unto them." 
And not to accept his offer is to reject 
it — not at once to be reconciled, is to 
doubt his sincerity — to continue your 
enmity and rebellion, and thus incur 
aggravated guilt. 

Inquirer. I see it now, and am amazed 
and tremble at my own stupidity and 
blindness. While I thought I was do- 
ing all I could, that I was willing, but 
God not ready to pardon, I was actually 
deceiving myself, and overlooking the 
very thing which would give me peace : 
God was willing, but 7" was not, in any 
such sense as to make an absolute, un- 
conditional surrender of my heart to 



ONLY BELIEVE. 35 

God's terms. I thought I was waiting 
upon God, waiting his time; but I 
was only delaying and neglecting to 
take him at his own offer — to believe 
his true and faithful promise. Now I 
see my error, and humbly cast myself 
upon the glorious sufficiency of the 
Divine Redeemer. 

Pastor. This is your only safety ; 
and if done intelligently, will confer 
not only present peace, but lay the 
foundation for abiding, growing com- 
fort, strength, knowledge, and useful- 
ness in the Lord's service. "Christ 
is the end of the law for righteous- 
ness, to every one that believeth." 
Rom. x. 4. But as you thus receive 
him, you must so walk in him; re- 
membering that he becomes, by his 
word and Spirit, your sufficiency for 
every thing connected with your life, 



36 ONLY BELIEVE. 

walk, or work as a christian. See Col. 
ii. 6—10. 

The faith which receives Christ, as 
your surety, at first, and gives you 
peace in him, must be exercised habit- 
ually ; in order, not only to maintain 
what you have already secured, but to 
gain more, to enable you to meet all 
the exigencies of your christian course. 
Peace can be maintained only as it is 
secured ; and as many temptations will 
assail you, both from within and from 
without, it is highly important that 
you should understand, and bear con- 
tinually in mind, the source of your 
strength and deliverance. Remember, 
then, that every thing you need in every 
possible position is treasured up in 
Christ, and appropriated by faith. The 
covenant is full and sure : " All things 



ONLY BELIEVE. 37 

are yours. 1 Cor. iii. 21 — Because I 
live, ye shall live also." John xiv. 19. 

Let me then close these suggestions 
by a few brief statements, which it is 
very desirable that you should re- 
member. 

1. This way of peace is the only one 
which meets all the necessitiqs of man's 
condition and relations. (1.) It pre- 
sents as its basis a perfect righteous- 
ness to God, satisfying his justice, and 
so meeting his entire approval as to 
enable him to extend a full, free, and 
absolute pardon for every sin. 

(2.) It provides for its own preserva- 
tion and enlargement. As God par- 
dons, he accepts, adopts into his fa- 
mily, sanctifies by the indwelling of 
his Spirit; thus strengthening faith, im- 
parting peace, love, joy, hope, strength, 

and every needed grace, and eventually 
4 



38 ONLY BELIEVE. 

glorifies the soul in his eternal king- 
dom. The peace which God imparts 
through faith in Christ is a perfect one. 
The suretyship of Christ possesses an 
infinite sufficiency, and therefore se- 
cures by covenant stipulations a fin- 
ished salvation. Peace is but one 
jewel in the rich casket bestowed by 
God's munificence — purchased by a 
Surety's obedience and death. 

(3.) It anticipates and excludes every 
difficulty and objection on the part of 
the sinner as to his poverty, wretched- 
ness, unworthiness, defilement, guilt, 
and helplessness. God accepts the be- 
lieving soul for Christ's sake, notwith- 
standing its inherent personal unworthi- 
ness and defilement : not only so, he 
provides in him for its perfect purifica- 
tion, its entire restoration to his image. 

Christ is all, and bestows all needed 



ONLY BELIEVE. 39 

for this purpose, so that no soul can 
have the least excuse for refusing or 
neglecting to return to God ; nor can 
any soul, conscious of its guilty, help- 
less, lost condition, have the slightest 
possible reason for delaying to accept 
of Christ in all his fulness. The deeper 
and more overwhelming this conscious- 
ness, the greater the urgency for an 
immediate acceptance of peace with 
God in Jesus Christ, the greater^ in 
fact, the welcome to do so. God has 
anticipated every necessity, and says, 
" Come, for all things are ready. " 
Trembling soul, are you ready ? Will 
you come? 

(4.) It satisfies the conscience. 
" The blood of Christ cleanseth from all 
sin." 1 John i. 7. Conscience takes 
part with God, sustains the righteous 
sentence of his law; but a Saviour's 



40 ONLY BELIEVE. 

sacrifice meets every claim of this 
law, magnifies it and makes it honoura- 
ble, and when this is done, conscience 
is at peace. Moreover, as often as 
this peace is broken, a resort to the 
blood of Christ, an humble acceptance 
of him in his atoning work, restores 
it. "He is our peace," perfect, abi- 
ding. 

(5.) It presents an ample basis upon 
which to offer its benefits, freely and 
fully, to every sinner, of every grade, 
under all circumstances of life. Wher- 
ever an impenitent sinner is found, he 
needs this peace ; and God, for Christ's 
sake, is ready to bestow it upon all 
who call upon him. In health or sick- 
ness, in youth or age, at home or 
abroad, in joy or sorrow, in life or the 
article of death, we can offer peace with 
God in Christ to every sincere, peni- 



ONLY BELIEVE. 41 

tent believer. Thus even the dying 
thief was accepted in his departing 
moments. All sinners need the gospel, 
and it may be offered freely to all upon 
this foundation. 

(6.) It effectually humbles the sin- 
ner, and yet affords him the utmost 
possible security. His own righteous- 
ness contributes not the least particle 
to his acceptance, nor does his own 
strength afford him any support. All 
his supplies begin and continue in union 
with Christ; and this union is con- 
summated by faith alone. In himself 
he is vile; in Christ, righteous. In him- 
self, weak ; in Christ, strong. 

All of his own is vileness, helpless- 
ness ; yet he is safe in Christ — safer 
far than any, or all creatures combined, 
could make him. Infinite righteousness 
justifies him; infinite love and power 

4* 



42 ONLY BELIEVE. 

sustain him. He has shame in him- 
self; honour and glory in his redeem- 
ing Surety. 

2. This way of peace awakens a 
new and abiding interest in the word 
of God: 

(1.) As containing and illustrating in 
various methods this plan of salvation. 
In one form or other, the whole Bible 
is but a record of God's purpose and 
method to save sinners. On this 
account, it assumes a new and deep 
interest to every soul, seeking and 
finding peace with God, through faith 
in Christ. This especially as unfold- 
ing 

(2.) God's own glorious and gracious 
iharacter. " They that know thy name, 
will put their trust in thee ; for thou, 
Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek 
thee." Ps. ix. 10. "Acquaint now 



ONLY BELIEVE. 43 

thyself with him and be at peace: 
thereby good shall come unto thee." 
Job xxii. 21. A clear scriptural know- 
ledge of God's character is the surest 
foundation of peace, hope, and joy in 
him. The word, therefore, as revealing 
this, will be deeply and abidingly in- 
teresting to every believing soul. It 
will be again 

(3.) As unfolding the character, 
dignity, attributes, work, and offices of 
the Lord Jesus Christ. We have peace 
with God through Jesus Christ ; and 
all true faith is founded in true know- 
ledge of the person, power, work, pur- 
pose, and glory of the Redeemer. Faith 
will grow as we comprehend the ful- 
ness, the glorious sufficiency of Him 
on whom it rests. Thus, too, it will be 
strengthened, established, and settled. 
The word will be read then to find 



44 ONLY BELIEVE. 

Christ — to understand more and more, 
his character, work, and offices. For 
this purpose, too, it will be heard. 
"Where Christ is best known, peace 
is most decided and comforts most 
abound. 

(4.) Once more; the word will be- 
come an absorbing object of study to 
the believing soul, as containing the 
history of redemption, and unfolding 
the fathomless treasury of promises 
and statements, as to God's present 
and future thoughts, plans, and pur- 
poses concerning each saint, as well as 
the entire kingdom of Christ. 

The promises are the pledges of 
God's mercy, the assurances of his 
abiding love, and the settled purpose 
of his mind, to perfect his work of 
grace, and crown the whole with eter- 
nal glory in heaven. They are ex- 



ONLY BELIEVE. 45 

ceedingly great and precious, and con- 
stitute an inheritance, incorruptible, 
undefiied, and that cannot fade away. 
1 Pet. i. 4, 5. 2 Pet. i. 3, 4. 

" A faithful and unchanging God, 
Lays the foundation for our hope, 
In oaths, and promises, and blood.'' 

The word thus becomes exceedingly 
precious to the believer, as the store- 
house of all the promises. 

(5.) Again the word becomes pre- 
cious and interesting as unfolding the 
character, work, and office of the Holy 
Spirit. His character is divine; his 
work and office indispensable in the 
salvation of the soul. He convinces 
of sin and misery; enlightens in the 
knowledge of Christ ; renews the will ; 
and persuades and enables us to receive 
Christ as offered in the gospel. He 
seals the believer, as Christ becomes 



46 ONLY BELIEVE. 

the earnest and pledge of the eternal 
inheritance to him. He dwells in 
the believer, bears witness that he is 
Christ's, and strengthens him in all his 
ways. 

He applies to him all the benefits of 
redemption, and thus glorifies Christ. 
Through his divine precious indwell- 
ing, light springs up in darkness, joy 
in sorrow, peace in trouble, strength 
in weakness — comforts abound, and joy- 
ous hope prevails. It is of great im- 
portance to understand the doctrine 
of the Spirit. This doctrine is revealed 
in the word, and hence, when the soul 
perceives and appreciates Christ as his 
Surety, it will at once search dili- 
gently for the knowledge of Him by 
whom it has been enabled thus to 
do. The promise of the Spirit is the 
common inheritance of all believers. 



ONLY BELIEVE. 47 

John xiv. 16—18. 1 Cor. ii. 12. 
Gal. iii. 14. 

Our faith will be intelligent, our 
piety manly, and vigorous, just as we 
live and walk in the Spirit. The word 
of God therefore will become precious 
as unfolding this glorious fountain of 
light, life, joy, and peace. 

(6.) Finally the word will sustain 
this attractive character, as presenting 
the warrant, rule, motives, and encour- 
agements to prayer. May we pray ? 
If so, by what rule, on what principle, 
with what motives, and what encour- 
agement? Will God hear prayer, and 
answer it ? These are, each and all, im- 
portant questions ; and to a mind just 
merging into newness of life, scarcely 
anything can become more practically 
interesting than the whole subject of 
prayer. 



48 ONLY BELIEVE. 

" Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice, 
Keturning from his ways." 

" Prayer is the christian's vital breath, 
The christian's native air." 

* If pains afflict, or wrong oppress, 
If cares distract, or fears dismay ; 
If guilt deject, if sin distress, 
The remedy's before thee, pray. 

" Eestraining prayer we cease to fight, 
Prayer makes the christian's armor bright." 

God's holy word teaches why, how, 
for what, with what motives, we should 
pray, and gives the highest assurances 
that humble, earnest, scriptural prayer 
shall be heard and answered. " The 
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous 
man availeth much." See James v. 
16—18. 

On the same principle all the ordi- 
nances, of divine worship become pre- 
cious to the believer; and the word, 



ONLY BELIEVE. 49 

the sacraments and prayer constitute 
the divinely appointed means of in- 
creasing peace, light, and joy to the 
soul. Joy in these, and an abiding 
sincere earnest resort to them afford 
the surest, if not the only, guaranty 
of actual interest in Christ, and of the 
reality of our peace. Carelessness and 
neglect in reference to them, become 
alarming symptoms of declension, or 
of utter delusion and apostasy. 

My dear friend, think of these things, 
and if now you accept the Lord Jesus 
as your peace, consider the boundless, 
glorious fulness of the mercy he be- 
stows, and live and feed upon him. 
He that walketh uprightly, walketh 
surely. Prov. x. 9. Honour him by 
whom you are called to such glory 
and virtue. "Grow in grace and in the 

knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
5 



50 ONLY BELIEVE. 

Let your walk and conversation be as 
becometh the gospel, and thus your 
peace will flow as a river. u Them that 
honour me, I will honour, and they 
that despise me shall be lightly es- 
teemed." 1 John ii. 30. 

May your life be precious, and your 
usefulness in the house of God, be 
widely extended and long continued ! 

Inquirer. I thank you for your in- 
structions. They have resolved my 
doubts, and given me a clearer view 
of my duty and privilege than I ever 
enjoyed before. May the Lord perfect 
his own work in my sanctification and 
salvation ! Farewell. 



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